‘We Are Called to Rise’ by Laura McBride

A woman whose marriage is falling apart, an immigrant family struggling to get by in a bewildering new land, and a soldier who wakes up in a hospital with the vague feeling that he has done something wrong… Three stories that will intersect in a split second. The author weaves these lives together seamlessly.

How do we make sense out of the seemingly insignificant random events that sometimes converge to create certain situations? Can small acts of charity and compassion really rescue the dark moments? Can people recover from pain and trauma that seems unbearable?

This is a story about family–the ones we have and the ones we make. It is a thoughtful story that is well written; yes it is tragic, but it is full of hope. The courage and bravery displayed by many of the characters in this novel is beautiful to behold. It gave me great admiration and respect for the tough work done by social workers, foster families, and mental health professionals. The city of Las Vegas is an interesting setting as well. I really enjoyed this novel, it would be excellent for book clubs, and I think the author has succeeded in her reason for writing it which I include below:

McBride said, “I wanted to tell a story that might make a reader have a big feeling, the sense that no matter how cruel or unfair life could be in a given moment, no matter how terrible the consequences of a tiny mistake, it was ultimately beautiful to live. I didn’t set out to write a book about war or poverty or racism. I just wanted the reader to love a child enough to feel devastated when that child’s heart was broken and euphoric when that child got a chance at hope. I wanted the reader to walk away believing that, with all our faults, human beings are worth something.”